On Dec 21,st retrograde in the sign of the twins, Jupiter will revisit the 8’ Gemini 50 spot it first went to on July 24th. It will return to this exact point again in direct motion on March 11th 2013. With the duality of light and darkness and heaven and earthly existence in the Gemini archetype of the twins, this movement from direct to retrograde and back to direct can be symbolically viewed as a shift from the external mercurial expansion of our thought forms to the potential enlightenment of our unconscious and innermost thinking patterns ready to emerge back out into the light inviting us to integrate newly gained insights from the entire Yod formation into our daily life. In working in partnership with Venus in Jupiter’s own sign, anchored in the solidness of Pluto’s transformational power and the Saturnian earth realm, the potential to integrate and express via Mercury the duality of human and divine without the fear of retaliation from the gods becomes a reality as we realise that we too are powerful gods.

In that moment the words of Plotinus become a reality, ‘The stars are like letters which inscribe themselves at every moment in the sky . . . Everything in the world is full of signs . . . All events are coordinated . . . All things depend on each other; as has been said, ‘Everything breathes together.’

As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.Carl Jung

There is a transiting Yod in the sky that has been affecting us since December 2012 and continues to do so through mid April 2013. The three planets involved are Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter. Yods are referred to as Fingers of God because of the fated quality of the planet at the apex of the Yod receiving inconjuncts from the two planets that sextile each other. In the current configuration Saturn sextiles Pluto both of whom take aim with inconjuncts towards the King of the Gods: Jupiter. Jupiter bears the brunt of the Yod and becomes the fated point and shoulders most of the frustration ultimately developing gifts for growth, awareness and change as the destined planet of this trio.

In a Yod, think of the two planets in sextile working together in collusion to gang up on the focal planet. This forces the focal planet to alter, work harder, prove itself and make adjustments leading to immense potential growth. The fated planet, which is forced to modify its behavior in some way, inevitably plays an important part in your destiny. It needs endless emotional and mental processing which is a by-product of the two inconjuncts which are so much identified with the behavior styles and functioning of the signs Virgo and Scorpio.

The three planets orient through different elements and modes. In this case Jupiter in Gemini is mutable air, Saturn in Scorpio is fixed water and Pluto in Capricorn is cardinal earth. Each feels unique and different but the two planets in sextile are by definition in the same polarity and in complimentary elements coaxing them to act as a duet with an affinity for one another while ganging up on the focal planet which is odd man out by polarity, element and mode. There is nothing in common with that third planet causing it to feel unwanted and uncomfortable. In the current transiting yod the collusion between Saturn and Pluto is even greater because they are in mutual reception further making Jupiter in Gemini feel ostracized. Think of the focal planet as a child that the parents can’t quite figure out so in their frustration the parents (the two sextile planets) work together and are constantly nagging the child (the focal planet) to change, be different, adjust and try to fit in with the family. In reality, by being different the child is who they are and that’s what makes them unique, special and much more valuable but it is hard to get those sextile parents to accept that! For the Yod to work the apex planet will have to make adjustments without losing its identity and become stronger by refining and redefining its goals.

In our example Jupiter in Gemini really comes under scrutiny for all its excess and grandiose way of communication. It will learn, from hard lessons through authority figures represented by Saturn and Pluto, that you can’t just say anything on your mind without repercussions. Saturn and Pluto say to Jupiter, “Think before you speak, have a plan and structure with some depth behind the thought instead of just blabbing information without doing the research or backing up the facts. Jupiter in Gemini has a talent that needs developing and that is the fated quality I’m talking about. There is real, legitimate and latent creativity in the focal planet and sign. In this case that talent would be versatility, backing up a thesis, philosophy or theory with facts and information or perhaps learning how to be a loyal friend and not a gadfly, space cadet or air-head type. All Gemini issues need to be explored, through Jupiter’s expansive nature, such as writing, language, siblings, the neighborhood, media, journalism, transportation, education and anything else that defines Gemini. Jupiter rules travel, foreigners, the law, religion, sports and many other things.

The timing for all this learning is as follows:

There was a Lunar Eclipse at 6.47 Gemini on November 28, 2012 which set the stage for bringing the Yod issues into open awareness for basically the next 6 months.

By December 2012 Saturn and Pluto were in orb of sextiling each other and Jupiter was retrograde in Gemini heading back towards the eclipse degree.

The Yod perfected December 21 through 27, 2012 when the configuration was as tight as possible.

Jupiter stationed direct on January 30, 2013 layering the story some more and triggers the lunar eclipse degree on February 16, 2013 for more possible events. (Mars triggers the degree on 2/10 and the Sun on 2/25.)

Saturn in partile sextile to Pluto for a second time on 3/8/13 while Jupiter is still in orb and continues to keep the Yod active through mid April 2013 when Jupiter finally pulls away from its inconjuncts to Saturn and Pluto moving quickly forward towards the sign of Cancer. The Yod is particularly tight once again March 23 through April 1, 2013.

There may be some culmination or last lesson learned around September 21, 2013 when Saturn and Pluto sextile one last time but by that time Jupiter is well out of the picture.

As a personal example my Father died on December 15, 2012 and here is where you must take house positions and rulerships into account. Jupiter is transiting my 8th house of death, which is where the lunar eclipse took place. Saturn is in Scorpio making all of us conscious about death and birth but in transiting my first house it becomes very personal by having to take on more responsibility to restructure my identity vis-à-vis the Father. Pluto in Capricorn transits my 3rd house of siblings; Jupiter rules my 3rd house of siblings and is transiting in a sibling sign so there are money and inheritance issues I must deal with over the next months with my brothers. Saturn natally sits in my 3rd house of siblings and Pluto natally resides in the 10th of the Father. Scorpio rules my 2nd of money, Gemini co-rules my 8th of inheritance and death, and Capricorn and Sagittarius both co-rule my 3rd of siblings. I can’t emphasize enough the importance in what houses the natal planets reside, what houses the planets are transiting in the natal chart, what houses the transiting planets rule in the natal chart and what aspects the transiting planets make back to the natal chart. This is what makes your interpretation rich.